


Darkness

by swrtmntfan



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27666067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swrtmntfan/pseuds/swrtmntfan
Summary: Note: In this story, the character didn't go to Auradon. Set around what would have been Descendants 2------Carlos isn’t afraid of the dark. He doesn’t like it, but he’s not afraid of it. To be afraid of the darkness would mean showing weakness, and for kids of the isle, that isn’t an option. However, as he stumbles through the dirt streets and alleyways towards the hideout, towards safety, he can’t help but feel as though it is closing in on him. Threatening to take everything away.
Relationships: Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil
Kudos: 15





	Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first story ever, but I'm excited for you to read it!
> 
> Feel free to leave any comments/suggestions/reviews.
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

Carlos isn’t afraid of the dark. He doesn’t like it, but he’s not afraid of it. To be afraid of the darkness would mean showing weakness, and for kids of the isle, that isn’t an option. However, as he stumbles through the dirt streets and alleyways towards the hideout, towards safety, he can’t help but feel as though it is closing in on him. Threatening to take everything away.

He doesn’t quite remember what happened. He was on his way to spend the night away from Curella, towards the safety of Mal, Jay and Evie, when he was jumped. He didn’t see who they were. They came from behind, pushing his face into the ground as he cursed himself for not being more aware. How many times has Mal told him to be vigilant, especially when alone? He couldn’t remember, but it was something he focused on; something other than the people punching him, kicking him.

He doesn’t remember them stopping. He must have blacked out at some point, because all of a sudden he could move again, his face no longer held down in the dirt. “C’mon Carlos” he muttered to himself, struggling to find the willpower to move. Using the wall nearby as leverage, he pulled himself to his feet. Letting out an audible groan, he lent against the wall and waited for the world to stop spinning. When it finally did, he began to walk. 

Kids on the isle generally had very little. Him, even less so, because his mother withheld everything she could from him. While he didn’t have much, he did have his friends. It had only been a few months since he and Evie had met Jay and Mal, but in that short amount of time, the bonds between them had grown, and he now felt as though he had known them his whole life.  
They had found each other when they were at their lowest, and they helped each other out. Like a family. It was these thoughts that kept him moving. The thought of friends, of family, of safety. He knew he needed to get to them, because they would protect him.

Remembering Mal’s words about vigilance, Carlos made himself look small, but kept his senses alert. Wrapping his arms across his chest, he felt like he was holding himself together. He very well could be, given the amount of pain he was in. Refocusing, he blocked out the pain and settled his thoughts safety. Too busy focused on staying alert, looking for threats, he didn’t pay attention to where he was going. He didn’t know where he was, all he kept thinking was  
home,  
home,  
home,  
and his body new exactly where to take him.

He didn’t realise he was at the hideout until he was face to face with the steel of a support beam. Home. 

Faltering for a second, he almost collapsed to the ground right there. “Don’t stop now, you’re so close” mumbling under his breath. Struggling, he straightened up again, arms still curled around his chest. Stumbling towards the stairs, he started to climb, one painful step at a time. The closer he got to the top, the more he relaxed. Because the closer he got to the top, the closer he got to his family. It’s the one thing keeping him moving.

Suddenly, there’s a flash of purple in his vision, and he feels hands grabbing him. Somewhere in his mind, he registers the colour and touch as safety, and so he lets go.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Guys, I’m worried. Carlos is normally here by now.” Mal said, pacing in front of the couch were Jay was ‘sleeping’ and Evie was sowing. 

“Relax, the kids fine. He probably just got distracted.” Jay mumbled from the couch, beanie still pulled down over his eyes. He was probably right. Any number of things could’ve made him late; an extra chore, an unexpected complication. This didn’t banish her worries, however, and she continued pace. Friendships weren’t common on the isle. Alliances, partnerships, yes. But to have friends was to have a weakness; something which can be exploited by others. That’s why it wasn’t common to have friendships, wasn’t wise to have them. But, sometimes, fate has other plans, and you end up with people you care about more than yourself. That’s what happened to Mal. She never intended to make friends, but then she met Jay, and Evie and Carlos, and her view on the topic changed. It may be unwise to have friends, but it wasn’t unwise to have family. That’s what they had become to her, they were more like a family now, protecting each other from whatever life throws at them.

That's how Mal knew, as her breath caught in her throat, that it was unlikely Carlos was simply held up. Something must have happened.

Scolding herself for not realising sooner, she stops pacing and spins towards the door, intent on finding him. Ignoring the spoken “Mal?” from Evie, she runs to the door, desperation fuelling her, begging her to find him. 

“Why didn’t I go and look for him sooner? I know he’s punctual, but I brushed it off. If he’s hurt, its all my fault”. Faltering as she almost falls down the stairs, she slows down just a fraction, pausing for a minute. She would find him, no matter how long she had to look. As she moves forward to descend the steps, she pauses, listening. Someone is coming up the stairs. 

Heart fluttering in hope, she picks up her pace and begins to run down the stairs. She rounds the corner, and suddenly he’s there. Bruised, beaten and bloody, but there. She forgets to breathe for a second as her eyes take in the sight of him. Screaming “CARLOS?”, she runs towards him, catching him as he falls forwards, into her arms. 

“Carlos? Carlos, can you hear me?” Her voice thick with worry, gently shaking him as he rests on her chest. His eyes are barely open, his body shaking with the effort it takes to stay awake. 

“M-M’kay Mal, p’mis” he mumbled, so delicate she could barely hear him. She had to contain the slight chuckle, even hurt he was still looking out for others. 

Brushing a curl behind his ear, she spoke with concern, “no, you’re not. But you will be”. 

He’s hurt, and she knows this, but she doesn’t have the strength to carry him up the stairs. She needs Jay. She’s furious, at whoever decided it was okay to hurt her surrogate little brother, but she wills those thoughts away and focuses on him instead. He’s here, he’s safe now, and that’s all that matters. She calls for Jay, knowing she’ll need his help. 

“Mal?” After what feels like hours, Jay appears, straightening as soon as he sees what’s going on. She watches his eyes darkening in anger, she knows exactly how he feels. But she recognises a greater need than revenge, and he’s unconscious in her arms. 

“Jay”, she speaks, calling his name softly but sharply, bringing him back to the present moment. Her worry fades as she watches the tension fade from his shoulders. He won’t run off to hurt those responsible yet, but there is no telling what he’ll do once Carlos is safe. Kneeling beside her, he gently reaches for Carlos and she helps situate him in Jay’s arms. Rising slowly, holding his unconscious little brother bridal style, he begins to walk up the stairs. 

Mal looks down at her hands, noticing the slight layer of dirt now covering them, and seeing the blood on the stairs. Struggling to contain her emotions, she rises shakily to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she begins to follow Jay up the stairs.

It was only as she was climbing that she noticed Evie had joined them. She stood to the side of the landing, concern written on her features. Mal could see the slight shake in her hands and the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Noticing the greater need in the situation, she squares her shoulders and moves towards her, grabbing her hand and squeezing gently. She made eye contact with the girl she viewed as a younger sister, and, whispered “Let’s go take care of our brother”.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Mal and Evie re-enter the hideout, still holding hands as they watch Jay place Carlos gently on his bed. With one last squeeze of their hands, Mal left Evie’s side and went to the small bathroom they shared, retrieving the med kit they had “created” over the years. They’d struggled to find the supplies in the beginning, but they managed. Jay’s pickpocketing skills often came in handy. Eventually, they got enough that Mal, the most experienced medic in the group was convinced they’d have enough to deal with most situations. While her experience was limited, she had confidence she would be able to help Carlos. She had to.

While Mal went to the bathroom, Evie went to Carlos. She hadn’t gotten a good look at him before Jay carried him up the stairs, but she knew he was hurt. The expression Mal had on her face once Carlos left her arms said it all. She had to hold in her gasp of shock as she moved closer to him, seeing the damage that had been done to him. Cautiously, she knelt down and grasped his hand gently, needing physical reassurance that he was okay. As soon as she had it, she let herself relax, tears gathering in her eyes.

Jay was the opposite to Evie. After laying Carlos down, he stood and positioned himself at the end of the bed and began pacing. He was furious. He wanted to go and find whoever had hurt Carlos and teach them to never mess with his family again. He knew he couldn’t, Mal and Evie needed him here now. That didn’t mean he was any less restless, clenching and unclenching his hands into fists. He had never been good at doing nothing, preferring to keep his hands busy and occupied as he stole off the streets. Noticing Evie come closer to Carlos, he stopped pacing and instead started watching her. Observing, he made the decision that he could keep himself busy by being there for Evie. She needed him, just like Carlos and Mal did. 

Kneeling beside her, he slid an arm around her shoulders and and whispered “He’s gonna be okay, Princess”. As she lent closer to him, his eyes sought out Carlos and his thoughts began to drift to the relationship the four of them had. While Jay had known Mal for about a year and a half now, they had only started becoming closer a few months before they met Evie and Carlos. Even so, his relationship with Mal was completely different than his relationship to either Carlos and Evie. He viewed them as his younger siblings, and he’d do anything for them. He knew Mal felt the same way. While each of them had been treated badly by their parents, Evie and Carlos definitely had it the worst. That was the reason he had taken to calling Evie ‘Princess’ and Carlos ‘Pup’. He didn’t know how to show affection like Mal did, but he knew that he couldn’t let the two of them think he didn’t appreciate them. So he gave them nicknames, so they would feel worthy and loved by him in their own way. Mal and Evie had adopted Carlos’ nickname, but he was the only one that called Evie princess. 

He was brought back to reality by the flash of purple next to him. Mal had returned, and with her, their med kit. He relaxed a bit knowing that she was here and now Carlos could be properly taken care of. Helping Evie to stand, he cleared his throat, and, speaking softly, asked Mal if there was anything he could do to help. “Can you get some water and a cloth, please? I need to clean this dirt off him.” Nodding, Jay turned to and headed out of the room. Evie, still near the bed, wanted to help but didn’t know how. 

“Hey, E, can you sit with him? I’m going to try my best but he’ll probably be in a bit of pain. Keep him calm, okay?”  
Nodding, she circled the bed, climbing onto the blankets next to Carlos. Gently, she began to run her fingers through his hair. It was dirty, but she didn’t mind. She’d be there for him, no matter what.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————  
Carlos wasn’t asleep, but he wasn’t awake either. He felt as though he was floating, drifting between being awake and asleep. He could hear voices around him, words blending together but he was able to identify them as Mal and Evie. He broke that barrier and everything became clear again as he felt the burning pain in his leg. Eyes opening painfully, he realises that Evie is sitting next to him, running her fingers through his hair. Mal isn’t next to him, but rather down near his thigh. He realises now what she is doing, if the presence of the med kit hadn’t given it away. She is tending to his wounds, which explained the fire. Eyes locking with hers, she gave him a small smile before she was moving again. 

Although he was expecting it, the next round of pain is more intense, and his vision is filled with light as he resists the urge to pull his leg in and curl upon himself. He doesn’t drift away again, but his vision is gone and he can barely hear what’s going on around him. Tuning into one sound, he finds its Evie’s voice he zeros in on, telling him to “breathe, breathe slowly Carlos, it’s going to be okay”, and he listens to her. He knows better than to ignore her words, so he focuses in on his breathing, following the instructions from Evie. 

As his breathing regulates, his vision returns, and he realises that Jay is now kneeling beside him. Carlos doesn’t know where he was, but he’s here now, and as his sight drifts from him to Mal, and then to Evie, he almost cries with relief as he realises he made it home. Vision lingering on Evie, he notices that her eyes are filled with tears and some have drifted down onto her face. Struggling, he reaches up with his hand to cup the side of her face, gently wiping away a few stray tears. Smiling slightly, she covers his hand with her own, and whispers “Hey Pup”. 

Licking his lips slightly, he struggles to rasps out a reply before harsh coughs wrack his frame and he feels himself being sat up, arms holding him in place as he waits for the coughing to subside. As it does, he leans back, resting slightly on the person behind him. Eyes still closed, he can’t tell who it is, but he’s more than happy to just lean into the presence and focus on his breathing once more. 

As the thought that he is finally home sinks in, he realises he is crying. This raises concern from his family surrounding him, worried that he’s in pain. His admission breaks their hearts, “I-I wasn’t sure if… if I was going to make it home”. 

He concern from his friends, his family, only makes the tears come faster, as he is pulled closer to Jay, who he know realises is the one holding him up, Evie’s hands stroking his hair. Even Mal’s abandoned the medical supplies to gently hold his hands and wipe the tears from his cheeks. 

He’s exhausted, bone tired, and his eyes drooping but he fights off sleep, for fear this is all a dream and he’s still in the streets or in his mothers closet, alone and afraid. “It’s okay, you can sleep now, we aren’t going anywhere. You’re home, you’re safe.” Somehow, in those two sentences, Mal has identified all his fears and expelled them from his mind. Body relaxing, he leans back, closer to Jay, feeling his hands moving rub the tension out of his shoulders. Its only then, surrounded by the comfort of his family, that he feels brave enough to fall asleep.


End file.
